REPS
REPS stands for "Road Energy Production System" and is a patented invention for converting lost energy from motor vehicles into electricity . Not only can it turn roads into energy sources and create energy conservation systems, REPS also has an impact on reducing CO2 emissions from roads.
Stop climate change
REPS is inspired to contribute to renewable energy solutions to stop climate change. The inventors of REPS realized that it is possible to use an energy source that has not yet been seriously considered for this purpose.
Energy converter
REPS is a unique mechanism that withstands the high loads on roads and converts impulses into electricity very efficiently. Piezo-electric effects and dynamo effects fail in efficiency and durability.
REPS for pedestrians
REPS could also be designed for use in pedestrian areas. Although the amount of electricity generated by a single step is very small and such systems would not be profitable, the electricity could still be sufficient to power, for example, the lighting system of a shopping mall by pedestrian energy.
Sustainability
REPS stands for sustainability and a clear commitment to environmentally friendly energy initiatives. Thanks to its energy payback in less than a year, it is an extremely efficient solution for energy generation. In addition, the panels have been specifically designed to make worn-out resources easily accessible and thus reusable.
Protected
The technology behind REPS is protected at the European Patent Office and is seen as a clear innovation in the field of clean energy production.
4
Years of research
18000
Measurements
2000
Simulation
The team
The REPS team is currently in the team building phase. The research and development team is constantly innovating and improving REPS solutions in the Wattens workshop. The founders are living a vision with enormous potential and the research to date shows that REPS can transform any sector where it is used as an energy converter into a greener and more sustainable urban living space.
As a renewable and sustainable energy source, REPS makes an important contribution to the reduction of CO2 for the protection of the earth's climate and can therefore become a "game changer" because it is modular and can be used in a variety of ways, thus offering high scalability even within urban areas.
Technology
REPS was developed by its inventors in 4 years of research. In the process, more than 18000 measurements and several thousand simulations have already been carried out with experimental measuring stands in the Wattens workshop. The conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy has been measured experimentally and proven with prototypes manufactured by the inventors.
REPS is a unique and patented mechanism used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy in a multifunctional, customised flooring system. Energy converters for driving on roads (for example the motorway) have not been used at all so far according to the current state of the art. Extensive patent research and market analyses revealed that only energy converters for pedestrians on pavements are known, which are operated by dynamos (as on a bicycle) or piezoelectric mechanisms.
REPS has many times the efficiency of known systems (e.g. dynamo, piezo, etc.). REPS floor plates absorb the kinetic energy of pedestrian footsteps or vehicles passing over them in the interior and convert it into electricity through a special mechanism, which can be used directly or fed into grids. In addition, each panel can be equipped with wireless sensors and control units and movement data can be transmitted in real time. This also allows REPS to be connected to a range of mobile devices, building management systems or traffic control systems, to name a few.
Applications
REPS is not limited in its embodiments and is suitable for "energy harvesting" in various other systems, especially in systems with linear movements or with forces acting perpendicularly on the device.
REPS for pedestrians
REPS can be used as a flooring system in differently frequented areas. Due to the freely selectable scalability of the number of installed energy converter floor tiles, public spaces can be flexibly equipped depending on the expected pedestrian frequency (entrance areas in supermarkets, railway stations, public squares...and many more) and the intended energy gain from this.
REPS can also autonomously generate electricity in urban and built-up areas regardless of weather conditions/time of day/night (in contrast to solar or wind power). Another possibility for REPS would be to generate autonomous electricity for urban sub-areas in shaded places (ex: underground).
Although REPS only pays for itself in high-traffic areas, it adds value to pedestrians by using the energy generated by their steps to power low-current equipment such as LED lighting systems. This way, the grid is not burdened and an energy conservation system is created.
Of course, the amounts of energy generated by steps cannot completely revolutionize the future. However, there are already existing systems on the market for pedestrians. In comparison, however, REPS is convincing in terms of both service life and energy yield.
The energy of the steps will not be able to change the future. For pedestrians, there are already existing systems on the market. REPS beats these systems, however, both in service life and energy yield.
REPS for roads
REPS is a disruptive invention on roads that use an application area not yet considered as an energy source.
The mechanism was designed to withstand the incredible stresses on roads and be enormously efficient.
REPS is a breakthrough invention that harnesses a previously unconsidered energy source on roads. The mechanism was designed to withstand the enormous loads on roads while being extremely efficient.
According to current research results, REPS on the Bahnhofstraße in Wattens could generate 200,000 kWh of clean electricity annually and pay for itself within 12 years. On the southeastern highway in Vienna, REPS could even generate over 1 million kWh of electricity per year and pay for itself in just 2.4 years. REPS has tremendous potential to dramatically reduce payback time through normalization of commodity prices, partnerships and supply chains, and continued research activities. Thus, a payback on federal roads could be achieved within a few years in the next few years.
Furthermore, 1000 REPS systems in high traffic areas (designed for 80-100 meters per system) could replace a medium sized nuclear power plant.
REPS is freely scalable in size and could therefore also be installed in door handles, for example, to supply consumers with low energy requirements. Furthermore, cable cars and gondolas could be equipped with REPS to capture the energy lost through high vibrations. Furthermore, the REPS devices described here can be used in baffles that are subjected to enormous wind forces from passing trains/cars, which could be tapped by the corresponding device.
Tyrolean Innovation Award
2022
If you are interested in REPS and would like to learn more, we invite you to contact us. Our research laboratory is located in the Wattens workshop, where you can also visit us.
